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Torrington church installs new pastor BY JOHN MCKENNA Republican-American

The Rev. John W. Silliman, the new pastor of Center Congregational Church in Torrington, greets church member Diane Ellis during a reception that followed his installation as pastor on Sunday. John McKenna/RA

TORRINGTON -- John Silliman was working in the insurance business in Hartford when he sensed his calling in life.

It happened not in an office, but at a stop of the Billy Graham Crusade at the former Hartford Civic Center in 1985.

"Something happened to me that day that changed the course of my life, the course of my family's life," Silliman said Sunday after being installed as the pastor of Center Congregational Church. "I told my family and they thought I was crazy. But they got on board and my spiritual journey was under way."

Nine years later, after almost 15 years working for three insurance companies, Silliman was an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ. He did his training at the Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Mass., commuting from his home in Harwinton while working part-time at the Connecticut National Life Insurance Co.

Silliman landed his first pastor's post in Lock Haven, Pa., where he stayed for 11 years. An assignment of more than six years followed in Shamokin, Pa., before Silliman learned of the opening at Center Congregational.

"They had closed the search, but two weeks later they reopened it," Silliman said. "I applied and the rest is history."

Silliman and his wife, Barbara, have two adult children, Keith and Debbie, who live out of state. The couple bought a house in Torrington and Silliman is hoping to be Center Congregational's pastor for the rest of his career.

"The people of this church have been open, friendly and welcoming," said Silliman, whose pastor's duties began in May. "They have a desire to follow Jesus and they see themselves as disciples of Christ."

The 45-member congregation had been without a full-time pastor for more than three years and the search for a new pastor, expected to last 18 months to two years, took much longer, according to Frank Pokrinchak, chairman of the church's board of trustees and head of the pastor search committee.

"It was a very elaborate process in which we interviewed more than 70 applicants," Pokrinchak said. "When we interviewed (Silliman), we were in the final stages of the search. His energy and leadership qualities made him the unanimous choice of the search committee. We knew we had found the very best person for the job."

Lois Orie, another member of the search committee, called Silliman a true spiritual figure who will lead the church down the right path.

"I feel I have a need to grow spiritually and assume others do, too, and if you don't have a person in place who can help you do that, you're lost," Orie said. "In John, we've found that person."

Before working in the insurance business, Silliman taught career education courses at Litchfield High School for three and a half years. Two of his former Litchfield High teaching colleagues, Harry Shuh and his wife, Carol Kearns, of Harwinton, attended Sunday afternoon's installation.

Silliman said he looks forward to working with his congregation in extending its community outreach to beyond serving as a host for weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, English as a Second Language classes, and Boys Scout and Girl Scout programs. The church also hosts dinners for the needy.

"There is a very genuine care for the community in this church," Silliman said. "And it's done in a very down to earth manner, which I like because that's what I am."

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